


petit fours

by CloudCover (RainyForecast)



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Dessert & Sweets, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-28
Updated: 2018-07-28
Packaged: 2019-06-17 21:37:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15470616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainyForecast/pseuds/CloudCover
Summary: King Evgeni has a problem. A very, very big problem, because the new guardsman from the Outer Islands is driving him to absolute distraction.Originally posted as a reply on tumblr, inspired by thispost





	petit fours

King Evgeni has a problem. A very, very big problem, because the new guardsman from the Outer Islands is driving him to absolute distraction. Evgeni has been beside himself from the time of the the swearing-in ceremony, when the man had lifted sincere, luminous hazel eyes to Evgeni’s face as Evgeni touched the blade of his sword to each of the man’s (broad, strong) shoulders.

Evgeni had felt his heart turn over, and he’d wanted to be the one kneeling in fealty instead. Really, he could be a vassal to those lips forever.

It’s too much. He’s been pestering Sir Kessel and Sir Hornqvist for information about him, but they have little to tell Evgeni.

“Sidney? Boring,” Sir Kessel says, which is rich, coming from him. “ And very correct. Sword drills, every moment of the day. Armor upkeep. Et cetera. I’ve never seen someone with such dedication to such a dull office.”

“How admirable,” Evgeni murmurs, lost in imagining Sidney with a sheen of sweat on his brow, artfully practicing his swordplay.

“You’ve lost your mind, Your Majesty,” Sir Kessel mutters, but Evgeni flicks his hand at him and pays him no mind.

Sir Hornqvist is a little less disparaging. “Well, he’s good with the young recruits. Hard working, dedicated, very happy and grateful for the posting here. The village he comes from is a poor one. I believe most, if not all of his pay is sent home.”

It is all Evgeni can do not to swoon like a maiden in a play.

“He’s not…that one’s not one for dalliance, Your Majesty,” Sir Hornqvist cautions with a frown. “He’s earnest, and I believe he is the type to settle down. I know he longs for a family.”

Evgeni imagines Sidney with a child in his arms and has to sit down heavily on a decorative plinth.

“He has old-fashioned notions about propriety,” Sir Hornqvist says, looking even more concerned. “I doubt he could even conceive of the idea of capturing your attention. And were you to, ah, proposition him outright, I am certain he would refuse thinking it unbecoming for a commoner to have a…liaison with a king .”

Evgeni feels both heartsore and resolved. “Then I must  _woo_  him,” he says, with the conviction of a man rallying troops for battle.

“Oh, gods,” Sir Hornvist says in response.

 

***

 

“Have a chocolate,” Evgeni tells Jake, and waits until the page is thoroughly enjoying his bribe before posing his question. “Tell me of Sidney, you know, the new guardsman. What do you know of him?”

“Oh!” Jake says, eyes lighting up. “He is very kind, he helped correct my stance when Conor and I were sparring! He’s the best in the entire guard but he always takes time to help us, and he doesn’t yell at the pages either like some do.”

“Have another chocolate,” Evgeni says. “Tell me more. Does he like his post? Is he happy here?” Privately he makes a note to talk with his seneschal about the pages getting yelled at.  

Jake nods, eagerly decimating his chocolate. “Oh, yes. He says that we are lucky to have so just a king and that the palace is such a fine place to work. He says his previous post was not half so good. The food alone, he says. Never seen the like before, he says.”

Evgeni is both awash is emotion at knowing Sidney thinks well of him and sternly resolved to see to the conditions at the border guard postings.

 

***

 

Evgeni first tries sending Sidney flowers.

“Well?” He asks Jake, who he’d used as delivery boy. “Did he like them?”

“He was a little confused?” Jake said. “He thought they were sent to the wrong place.He liked them but he gave the flowers away to one of the scullery maids who’s just had a baby.”

Back to square one.

 

***

 

Evgeni tries chocolates. Sidney assumes the delivery is some kind of thanks for the guard’s service and passes them out to his fellow guard members.

Evgeni calls for Sidney to accompany him for a moonlit stroll in the palace gardens. Sidney gravely tells him that is is wise to take along protection when wandering at night, and proceeds to offer several suggestions for palace security as they walk.

None of this is working.

 

***

 

Evgeni is eating dinner on the terrace one evening, trying to ignore the fact that one of the guards stationed at the door is Sidney. He eyes the plate of exquisite petit fours that Cook must have made him because she’d heard he’d been in a foul temper. They’re all of his favorites, marzipan, blackcurrant, passionfruit, and more, decorated with candied flowers and citrus peel.

He has an idea. A desperate one. Sidney, perhaps, might never return his affections but he can at least perhaps bully him into accepting something nice to enjoy for himself.

“Sidney,” he calls.

“Your Majesty?” Sidney asks, appearing at his elbow.

“Taste this,” Evgeni orders, lifting up a petit four. Elderflower gelée with candied lemon.

“Your Majesty—” Sidney is about to protest, but Evgeni cuts him off.

“To set my mind at ease. For my safety.”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” Sidney says, brow creased in concern. “Has there been new intelligence, or—”

Evgeni shakes his head, but just proffers the little cake again. Sidney obediently takes it, and takes a neat, careful bit from one corner.

“Ohh…” he breathes, eyes wide. His lashes flutter shut for the briefest of moments as he chews and swallows, and Evgeni’s mouth goes dry.

“No numbness on the tongue, no strange taste,” Sidney says, suddenly businesslike again. “I think it’s fi—”

“Good, good,” Evgeni says, picking up a brandy sponge cake and strawberry cream confection. “This one?”

Sidney takes a bite of that one as well, and a similar fleeting moment of bliss flickers across his face. Evgeni is entranced.

“Please, sit,” Evgeni says. “There are a lot more. And this wine, maybe. It’s a newly opened bottle…” He hands over his own glass of sparkling dessert wine, and hands it to Sidney, who raises it to the light for a moment.

“No strange sediment and the color looks normal,” he says.

“Try it anyway, please, for me,” Evgeni asks, and Sidney does, and moans a little at the taste of the wine.

“I’ve never tasted anything so fine,” he sighs, and licks a droplet of wine from his lower lip. Evgeni feels faint but rallies.

“Wonderful. And this?” He picks up another cake.

 

***

 

Evgeni manages to encourage Sidney to drink a little more of the wine, and asks him about his home, in the Outer Islands. Sid lights up, and tells him about the little village where he was born, the younger sister he had to leave behind when he left the village to join the King’s Service. The sunset is fading, and blue twilight is beginning to fall. The night-blooming garden flowers are sending up their intoxicating scents, and the candles on the table are sparkling in Sidney’s eyes. Evgeni has never been happier.

Sidney breaks off suddenly, from a description of skating across the frozen harbor in winter, and blinks at his surroundings, as if he’d forgotten where he was. He has a glass of wine in one hand and a miniature quince tart in the other, and across the table from him, Evgeni is listening to him with his chin resting in his hand, probably smiling besottedly.

“I, uh, this— I beg your forgiveness, Your Majesty,” Sid cries, springing upright and carefully setting down the glass and the unfinished tart. “This was too familiar of me, I’m sorry—”

“Please,” Evgeni interrupts, one hand up to stem the flood of apology. “It is I, perhaps, who should ask your forgiveness.”

“But why—”Sidney says, but then his mouth snaps shut and his eyes narrow. Evgeni’s stomach churns as he watches Sidney begin to piece it all together.

“You—the flowers,” Sidney says, and Evgeni can only nod. “The chocolates. The food-tasting.” Evgeni’s cheeks burn.

“What,” Sidney says slowly. “What is it you want of me, my king?”

“Only,” Evgeni says, and has to clear his throat to continue. “What you would give me freely.”

Sidney give him a long, long look. Standing, he is taller than Evgeni, and Evgeni tilts his head to look up at him, viscerally reminded of when he’d appointed Sidney to the guard, how he’d wanted to worship at Sidney’s feet instead.

Sidney reaches out, softly brushes tentative fingers along the curve of Evgeni’s jaw. “Can I presume, Your Majesty?” he says quietly, and Evgeni draws a shuddering breath, and stands. He cups Sidney’s face in his hands.

“Call me Zhenya,” he says, and finally, finally, kisses those perfect lips.

 

***

 

They don’t serve a cake at their wedding. They serve trays and trays of petit fours.  

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me as [knifeshoeoreofight](http://knifeshoeoreofight.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr, and as @RainyForecast on Twitter. Come say hi!


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